Some Year 8 Camps

Dive Camp

Chey's High Jump Record

Here is a short clip of Chey breaking the highjump record at Athletic sports held on Saturday November 14th 2010.

2005 Old Boy Reunion

The 2005 Old Boys evening at Orlando Country was a fabulous night. Parents and Staff were all so proud of the young men that we had turned out! It was amazing hearing what the boys from that year group have planned to do. Some were going to be lawyers, one a airline pilot, one already a private in the army, a number going to Lincoln, two going to prep schools in England, several to Cantabury, one going to be a broadcaster, another with a building apprenticeship, one doing a PE degree at Otago, one an arts degree at vic the list just went on and on.

It certainly was an evening to remember and as a Headmaster they were a fantastic example of why you send your sons to Huntley.

Fantastic Hunterville Cross Country Results

On Friday the 5th of November the Huntley boys headed off to Hunterville for the inter-schools competition. In the Year 4-5 race we performed well with Patrick Tobin running a tight third place and Jack Gay coming fourth. In the Year 6-7 race Harley Transom ran a perfect race to win and Darren Hirchberg followed closely behind to finish 2nd. Jack Kinder also performed well to come in 8th place. In the year 8 race Jamie Gillespie ran extremely well to win the senior race comfortably.

Y8 Winner Jamie Gillespie

Y7 Winner Harley Transom
Y7 2nd Darren Hirschberg

Y5 3rd Patrick Tobin
4th Jack Gay

Junior Shemozzle: Werthmuller’s keep it in the family

Ben and Hunter Werthmuller fought it out for first place in the Hunterville Junior Shemozzle on Saturday. Ben had won the 2008 and 2009 Shemozzle but it was his younger brother Hunter who took the honours on the day. “I was rapt for Hunter,” Ben said. “The best man won on the day and if I had to lose to someone who better than my own brother!” Ben and Hunter were also running for the Huntley School Team on the day and the third place getter was Jack Kinder, also from Huntley. “We have always supported the Shemozzle as sponsors but due to other sporting clashes we have never been in a position to enter a team. It was quite exciting to see the boys win it on their first attempt,” said Headmaster Brad Gay. The boys will want to give it another go next year and defend their title.






As a school we have been focusing more on multi sport events such as triathlons, duathlons and cycling. This year we entered the National Road Cycling Championships for the second time and managed a creditable 5th in New Zealand. Multi sport is another option for the boys who can do it alongside their current winter and summer sports. The Shemozzle is a fun event but the boys certainly give it their all. Hunter can’t wait to try his new Giant mountain bike on the Huntley School bike track. No doubt Ben will be on hand to take photos with the new camera he won!

Huntley’s new Deputy Headmaster is Sam Edwards

We had 17 applicants for the Deputy Headmaster’s position. We interviewed five applicants and were pleased with the calibre of candidates. In the end it came down to the best fit for Huntley and we have chosen Sam Edwards.

Sam is married to Rebecca and has a four month old son, Archie. He has experience teaching at Falcons Preparatory School for boys and Wetherby Prep School in England. He is currently second in charge at Weber School and his principal speaks very highly of him. He has been receiving professional development in the Aspiring Principal’s programme and has been working with Carol Lynch(Tim White and Associates) in the AP/DP cluster for Dannevirke. (Carol Lynch has been appraising me as a principal this year.) Carol, also, speaks very highly of Sam and felt he would work well in the Huntley environment. Sam has a bachelor of Education Degree from Massey and a Certificate in Leadership and Management in Schools from Sheffield University. His wife Rebecca is also a trained teacher and will hopefully be able to help with relieving.

Sam is also a skilled sportsman and has played rugby for the Nike New Zealand Youth Team, Hawke’s Bay Colts, Manawatu Colts and the Manawatu Development Squad. He has also been an age group representative cricket player in Southern Hawke’s Bay.

He is a friendly and outgoing young man and I believe he will get on well with the boys, staff and parents. We welcome Sam into the Huntley family.
(Photo to come)

Welcome back to Term Four

What a frantic start to our busiest term of the year. With Open Day, Gisborne Show and now currently interviewing candidates for the Deputy Headmaster position life sure isn't dull. So far I have interviewed two very strong candidates and am looking forward to interviewing two more today. I am extremely confident that we will have a suitable replacement for Andrew. Those of you that know Andrew therefore know the calibre of applicants must be high. I look forward to announcing the appointment within the next week. We had seventeen applicants for the position and of these eight were of an exceptionally high standard. It certainly shows what high esteem people place in a job at Huntley. I often tell Andrew that he was one of the best decisions I ever made as Headmaster and although extremely sorry to see him leave I am also excited for him as he moves into the field of educational leadership. He is certainly well prepared and will do a fantastic job.

The Gisborne Show was incredibly muddy but also showed the spirit of the community up there. Most other cities would have called it off. Not Gisborne. I could have made a fortune if I had taken a truck load of gumboots. It was lovely catching up with past parents and old boys. We have three potential boys for the future and I managed to have a half hour chat with the Education Minister, Anne Tolley. Whilst not promising anything the Governement are conscious of the difficulties facing independent schools at the moment.

I look forward to seeing you at the Music Concert on Thursday. Remember the concert is not just for grandparents, parents are also expected as well. I am sure we are in for a great show.

Huntley Golf Day & the big wet

What a fantastic Golf day. We raised over $36,000 on the day.

Christchurch Tour

What great fun we had. Here is a video clip:

A day in the life

It's a beautiful day:

Huntley Weekend

People often ask me what boys get up to at Huntley in the weekend. Here is what they did on this Sunday.

Scootering in the Weekend

This weekend I took some video footage of the boys on their scooters. Fergus Grant helped with the technical assistance. The rest speaks for itself:

G.D.P Value of the week

This week Guts, Determination and Pride has been the values of the week. Jack Lord introduced this to the boys and gave a brief quote and the reason why he is showing GDP at the moment. (Jack has damaged his knee and can't play rugby)

I also talked about it in chapel and used Rourke Fraser as an example of how GDP doesn't just have to be shown on the sports field. We talked about Oral Assessments and how nervous some boys get before speaking to the assessor as another way of showing GDP.

Today in Chapel i talked about the following family and how they showed GDP.
Follow the link

Featherston Information Evening

On Wednesday 28th of July Pam and I ventured over to the Wairarapa to the Tylee's house in Featherston for an information evening. We managed to catch up with a number of past families, old boys and prospective families. It was lovely to be able to hear how some of our recent old boys are getting on in their secondary schools.
In total twenty five people attended the evening and many thanks must go to Tina and Dougal Tylee for their hospitality.

The following day we travelled on to Wellesley to watch over a hundred and twenty boys taking part in a prep exchange. We won all the hockey fixtures, lost all the soccer fixtures and lost one rugby game, won the 2nd XV game and drew the 1st XV game so at the end of the day it was a draw for both schools.

Jazz Band - GUITAR

JACOB PRITCHARD ON GUITAR FOR THE JAZZ BAND

Blokes night

Blokes night was a successful night with over 200 blokes and boys attending. The All Blacks did their part by giving us a great game to watch. It was quite stiring hearing the boys and men sing the national anthem. The Blokes consisted of dads, uncles, brothers, grandads and family friends. The naming of blokes night wasn't just a whim. I thought long and hard about it because I wanted the night to be a time when boys could identify with a significant male in their lives. Originally I had thought of calling it "Lads and Dads" but immediately I saw the problem with this; not all boys have dads immediately available to them. The idea for Blokes Night came after a conversation with Celia Lashlie who suggested that rights of passage such as this are important for boys in their progress towards manhood. I'm currently reading Maggie Hamilton's book, "What's happening to our boys?" (2010) she devotes a chapter to exactly this type of event called "Young boys in need of good blokes". In this she explores a lot of what I believe is good practice for our boys. Things like the importance of one on one dad time. Making sure that boys have access to good male role models. Encourage boys to enjoy the excitement of boyhood, but also provide the wisdom of approaching manhood.

Lessons on Life from Nelson Mandela

 Over Queens Birthday weekend I read a book called Mandela's way: Lessons on life
I then went through and pulled out the pieces of advice I found thought provoking. These are some of them:

The rarest thing in the world is to come out as a truly mature man.

Courage is not the absence of fear. In fact absence of fear is not to care about consequences. Fear is the day to day facing of ones frailties.

Pretend to be brave and very soon you become brave.

Control, self control, is the mastery of self. Taking measured steps. Self Discipline, and the ability to remain calm. Don’t hurry; think analyze, then act.

His view is that leaders must know when to be seen leading from the front. Sometimes admitting you were wrong when no one else knew you were wrong is the right thing to do.


Leadership at its most basic is making sure people are heading in the right direction-usually by changing their direction or their thinking.

Ubuntu, the ideal that people are empowered by other people, that we become our best selves through unselfish interaction with others.

The greater wisdom of the group compared to the individual, always achieves better results.

Look the part. To be a true leader you have to first look like one. Wear the right clothes be meticulous with what you wear. Stand up straight and command with your presence.

You only have one chance to make a first impression.

One cannot be completely open about ones emotions. Yes, emotions may be authentic and this a modern virtue but one can be authentic without fully showing all emotions.



Have a core principal; Every one has equal rights, regardless of race, class or gender. Pretty much everything else is a tactic. Be prepared to change and adapt as long as it is heading towards that principal.

Seeing the good in people will encourage the good to come out in people.

He assumes other people have integrity and honour and because of this it attracts people with integrity and honour. It can however lead to being taken for granted or a ride.

Know your enemy. Research thoroughly your closest rivals and keep them close to you.

A young man could not decide who he should marry so travelled the world and on return to his village saw the girl; who had grown up in the next hut. “That will be my wife.”
Did he know this because he matured and realised because of his travels that this was the right women for him? Or was he stupid and naïve not to see the beauty living right beside him? Both thing are correct. In life their can often be two truths that seem somewhat opposing but it doesn’t mean they are not both correct or achieve a similar end. Cultivate a custom to think of both or even several sides to a problem. Often leaders think they have to be strong and say yes or no when “Maybe” is the correct answer.

Saying no is something that must be done and when it is better to say it early. Always ask yourself am I putting this off for the right reasons or because I don’t want to have to face the truth.

Think long term. Have a long term vision and continue to aim for it.

Find your own garden a place that brings peace to your soul. (He was given a place for a garden while in prison) For me this is the beach.

Meet my needs first!

In an informal study in Newsweek (Tyre, Scelfo, & Kantrowitz, 2004) found that children expect to nag parents nine times before getting what they want. In today’s culture boys expect to get what they want when they want it. They do not intend to wait. They come first.

Many schools unknowingly aid this assumption by giving out rewards for dubious efforts because it is that boys turn to get something. This “everyone must feel good about themselves” attitude is exactly what these children don’t need! They get everything at a push of a button, Ipod’s, PSP’s, DVD’s. When boys realise that effort grades are just not given out that they have to earn them there are a fair number who think this is unfair. Who are you as my teacher to expect me to have to put in any effort? Why do you think you should be able to keep me accountable when my parents have never tried?

The boys at Huntley very quickly learn that they don’t always get what they want. They learn to appreciate that some things are worth trying for. They realise that Mum and Dad aren’t always going to be there to make excuses for them, so they face up to their shortcomings and move on. It is very rare for parents not to back the school in this way. Parents that make excuses for their son’s behaviours all the time are generally the reason their son is in the trouble he’s in. In my time as Headmaster, I know of one parent who didn’t believe us when we suspected their son had stolen something. “My son would never do that!” If we had the back up of that parent at the time he may not be now attending his third high school.

Jacob is an example of boy who responds to authentic praise!

At Huntley when boys get praise it is authentic. It means something to him because he knows we don’t just hand out awards to every boy. As I write this I have just had five boys from Mr McAlley's room sent to me for their outstanding effort in the recent examinations. They weren't the top of the class but they all realised that for their ability they had out performed their own expectations. How exciting is that for a boy! This is how you build true self esteem. Don’t get me wrong I am all for praise and guidance. I believe in the inherent good in every boy and work hard to make sure that the boy knows exactly what I think his strengths are. He also understands what his weaknesses are and what I feel he can do to improve. I was horrified a number of years ago when I heard a staff member say I can’t stand that boy. I took that staff member aside and explained that the boy was 10 and had problems. He had social problems but he would never get better if that staff member wrote him off. In other words they had to be the bigger person. As a consequence that boy went on to succeed and I was delighted that he was made a prefect in his last year of secondary school. It was one of the nicest letters of congratulations I have ever had to write. A learning healthy school uses discipline as a learning process rather than a system of retribution. If a staff member really wants to earn the respect of the boys they must be unwaveringly fair and consistent. Boys have a righteous sense of fairness, some of it misguided, but there just the same. A staff member or parent who takes the time to explain what the boy did wrong is a long way down the road to earning that boys respect.

I guess the purpose of this written piece is to emphasise to parents, boys and staff that it doesn’t hurt anyone of us to see the best in all of us. We all make mistakes and this is where real learning takes place. If we live by values, like the Huntley Values: Tolerance, Responsibility, Kindness, Enthusiasm, Service, Respect, Honesty and G.D.P then we can truly “Prepare boys for the adventure of life.”

Book week for the boys

This week is book week at Huntley and the boys and staff started the week off with our, “Dress up as Characters Day.” This is one of the highlights of the week for the boys and I’m sure a lot of parents heaved a heavy sigh of relief to finally find the costume for their son. The Staff get right into the dressing up as well, but the real objective of the day is to highlight to the boys the favourite books of staff and their peers. The mid-winter Christmas lunch was another highlight of the day and certainly added to the festive atmosphere.

Over the week the school has guest readers and visiting authors such as Stu Duvall. The inter squad book quiz, book mark competition, and reading log challenge are all part of this exciting week.

Book week is all about reading and this is especially important for boys. At Huntley the hallmark of success for a reader is when boys truly start reading for pleasure. It is important that staff are good examples to our students. Headmaster Brad Gay reads extensively. “During term time I tend to read professional texts. This term for example I have already read: James Popham's, "The Truth About Testing", Douglas Reeves, "The Learning Leader", Neila Connors, "If you don't feed the teachers They eat the students", Sheena Cameron, "Teaching Reading Comprehension Strategies". My last great read was Maurice Gladwell's "Tipping Point". I am currently reading Gladwell's, "Blink". I also read a number of boys books so I keep up to date with what they are reading. Currently I am reading Morris Glietzman's book "Then" the sequel to "Once". During holidays I read a variety of novels. I have been reading Robert Jordan's Series lately. 12 Volumes recommended to me by a student two years ago!”

Huntley teaches reading in a similar way to mainstream schools but with some differences designed to especially engage the boys. The library for example has a huge array of non-fiction books, and the fiction section is stocked with boy friendly books. Many of the books are series books as boy's love to read these. Robert Muchamore’s Cherub series is a firm favourite at the moment. It has all the hallmarks of a great series for boys. The character is a boy, he is a spy, he faces danger, and he has a certain amount of power. He is a boy’s boy.

Book week sends out the message to the boys that reading is a worthwhile important part of their education. Research tells us that if children cannot read their ability to comprehend and make sense of what they are being taught is greatly impaired. Book week is fun way of highlighting this to the boys.

Huntley Headmaster wants ugly planning from teachers

As part of Huntley School’s professional development Headmaster, Brad Gay is asking his teachers to produce ugly planning. What this means is that he wants to see teachers viewing planning as a working, living document that changes constantly to ensure boys needs are met. Sometimes planning can be seen as a legislative requirement to “tick” the box for outside agencies. These plans look beautiful because they don’t change they hide in a clear file and a pulled out for Education Review Office (ERO) audits. At Huntley we want our planning to be reactive to the needs of the boys as they arise. Sometimes this means adapting plans, reflecting on what is working and what is not and making the appropriate changes to best suit the individuals or collective class.

Teachers use school wide data from national tests such as P.A.T.’s (Progressive Achievement Tests) to write their class appraisals and inform their next steps they intend to take with their classes. They then use formative data throughout the year to ascertain whether they are meeting the goals they have set for their class. Ugly planning ensures that teachers are reflecting on their teaching constantly to improve the way they teach. This sees true professional growth and also ensures the boys get the best possible input into their learning.

What drives me?

On Open Day a parent asked whether I had trouble with pushy or angry parents. To me it was a funny question. Yes, parents can sometimes have high expectations but I don't have a problem with this. In my experience you only get angry parents if you have really ineffective teachers. This explains why we don't get many angry parents! A strong staff leads to a strong school and happy boys and parents. In my view parents send us the best boys they can raise! It is up to us as teachers to build on this. At the end of the day it is not the newest programmes that make a school it is dedicated teachers that make a school great. We have dedicated teachers with an amazing reputation for caring for their charges. Most parents and boys come to Huntley because they have heard fantastic things about the school. As Headmaster my job is to set the tone for the school. If I fail to do this I have also failed the staff, parents and ultimately the boys. This is what drives me.

Open Day

Open Day saw 25 new families enter the school for tours with our Year 8 boys. Many commented on the confidence of the boys and what great guides they were. It was obvious that the boys really love the school and are proud to be a pupils here. The boys are the ones that convince prospective parents that this is the place for their sons. Their open honest opinions about life at Huntley are a vital ingredient in the decision making process for new parents.

I would also like to thank all the Parents and Staff that helped out on the day.

Ducks and assessment!

DUCKS
Yesterday we had Buck Gardner visit us.
Buck is a professional Duck Caller, some of you may have seen him on TV a week ago. He is a very nice man and the boys absolutely loved his talk. Many Thanks to Giles Standford for organising this.
Left to right Bradley Gardner, Brad Gay, Buck Gardner, Tracey (Mooses Sports)
Check out his website
http://www.buckgardner.com/
(This was done outside class time)

Assessment Parents and learners have a right to quality assessment feedback that gives indication as to progress made, learning strengths and weaknesses, what the learner needs to do to build on strengths and address weaknesses and what we all need to do to help the learner get there. It is also not unreasonable for a learner to know where their strengths and weaknesses are comparative to their peers. The image of the learning triangle with the child supported by the teacher and the home is a powerful one. We need to engage our school community in the assessment discussion. If we are to truly personalise learning we must ensure that the contexts for learning are truly authentic, that the child’s voice is heard, that our Learning Communities are informed and supported, that our schools are appropriately resourced and that teachers and school principals are nurtured, challenged, informed and most importantly affirmed.

Today we had our first re-vamped Quality Learning Circle QLC as a staff. It was wonderful hearing the staff talking about best practice and new innovations they are trying in their classrooms. The short two week goals they had set for their classes had very positive results and many staff feel the boys are starting to identify vocabulary outside of their lessons. This increased awareness in vocabulary is a positive spin off for all concerned.

National Standards

On Monday 3rd of May Mrs Shand and I flew up to Auckland to attend the Independent Prep Schools course to look at how we will be implementing National Standards. It was an excellent day and a fantastic initiative by the Independent Schools to use our combined expertise to ensure the National Standards are meaningful for schools, parents and most improtantly the pupils. One of my concerns about National Standards is that they run the risk of teachers teaching to the tests and not teaching in the best interests of the pupils. I left feeling relieved that the other heads agreed that whatever stance we take the National Standards should inform what we are teaching our pupils. The data collected for National Standards should be used by teachers to work out where the needs are for their class and individual students. It should help them plan the next steps for them to help their students make meaningful strides in their own learning.

No one disagreed with National Standards as a concept but many were unstandably worried about how schools data could be used and interpreted by media. We will be looking at what we assess and report to try and make the reporting process more understandable for parents. Our aim is that parents have a clear understanding of where their sons are at and what we intend to do about this. Parents should see progress made throughout the year relative to their sons ability.

Duck shooting fever

A number of very excited boys are looking forward to duck shooting this weekend. I am looking forward to taking my own two sons over to Hawke's Bay for a shoot. I remember well the excitement when I was a boy. There was the ritual of going and getting our licences, decoys and ammo. Dad would bring the gun out for cleaning and start practising the duck caller around the house, much to mum's disgust. The morning of duck shooting was another ritual of waking up early getting the lunch mum had made and heading to my uncle's house for an early morning breakfast. I remember well the earnest looks to see if it was light enough to go to the dam. The first flutter of wings, the boom of the first shot.

These are all special memories of my time with my father and I am pleased I can offer my own sons these same memories. It is important for boys to have these special times with their fathers or some other significant male role model. These special rites are important for boys to bond with their dads and that is why we try and let as many boys as possible attend opening morning.

Quality Learning Circles

Quality Learning Circles are opportunities for staff to work collaboratively togther to enhance their professional development. They do this through a series of theoretical and practical readings, classroom observations that are then evaluated and discussed with colleagues. Teachers are encouraged to make changes to their existing programmes to enhance their teaching in specific areas of identified student need.

Over the holidays I have been preparing a series of professional readings for staff as part of our school wide goal to improve vocabulary within the school. The process involves splitting the staff into two groups and having them reflect on the readings throughout the next two terms and then apply this new knowledge using the "teaching as inquiry" model. We have collated data about all the boys and are now using this to inform our teaching. Using ongoing formative data we are going to be constantly evaluating the boys progress and the new interventions we as teachers are using.

The aim by the end of the year is to have raised students vocabulary level and this in turn will have positive spin off effects in their writing, reading and comprehension. I am working with Carol Lynch from Tim White and Associates as part of the Experienced Principals Development Group. I am finding it professionally very rewarding and it has enabled us as a school to inform how we approach our professional development.

Adding to the debate about National Standards

James Popham, in his book “The Truth about Testing” cites three reasons why we should not allow students scores in standardised tests to be indicators of educational quality:
1. Standardised achievement tests should not be used to evaluate the quality of student’s schooling because there are meaningful mismatches between what is tested and what is supposed to be taught, and those mismatches are often unrecognised.2. Standardised achievement tests should not be used to evaluate the quality of student’s schooling because the quest for wide score-spread tends to eliminate items covering important content that teachers have emphasised and students mastered.3. Standardised achievement tests should not be used to judge the quality of student’s schooling because factors other than instruction also influence performance on these tests.

National testing in what ever guise will not improve learning outcomes for children, enhanced assessment practice, home – learner – teacher relationships, and enhanced teacher pedagogy developed within a positive, supportive environment will.
Here at Huntley we like to think we provide this.

It's just not cricket

Charlie Boon Certainly new what it was all about!

It is interesting to note that in todays modern world how many boys are not prepared to do the hard yards. Unfortunately parents on a numer of occassions support this attitude. Cricket in many ways is a cruel game you may only have one chance and then if your bowled that's it. Recently I have had two occassions where we have needed a 12th man for our prep matches. One boy asked that he play for the 3rds rather than be 12th man for the 2nds. My problem with this attitude is why hasn't he seen the bigger picture? It is a privilage to play for your school in a prep fixture. It signifies that the coach is looking at you for the future. What happens to that boy next year? I'm sorry but you weren't prepared to show service to your school and this team last year so what makes you think we are desperate to have you this year? How do we stop this "the world has stopped revolving around me so I'm going to opt out attitude" creeping in? It's simple really, parents need to educate their sons that life does indeed at times fling forward the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, but sorry build a bridge and get over it. As educators it's our job to help prepare boys for the adventure of life, not set them up for future disappointment.

Teacher observations in full swing

Andrew Osmond and I have been visiting classrooms and doing observations of the teachers at Huntley. So far I have seen some very impressive group teaching with staff using open ended questions, explaining next steps in learning for the boys. The use of the interactive white boards has been another feature of the visits. Boys know what the learning intentions are and what the success criteria is that they have to meet. Planning of units is excellent and staff are beginning to reflect more on their practice. I am sure parents will find our parent/teacher conferences beneficial.

Scots Cricket Cancelled

Unfortunately some pretty sad boys missed out on cricket, tennis and softball due to bad weather. It did save parents a rather early start!

Trip to Stratford and Hawera

On Monday I travelled with a group to Startford and Hawera to meet the Principal of Stratford Primary and TeWhiti Primary. It was part of my Experienced Principals Group course that I am doing for the next eighteen months. There were a number of things that I took from the trip that I can see being a help for our ongoing Teaching as Inquiry project here at Huntley. I liked the way Stratford structures their PLC's. I have been pleased with our progress so far but would like to have a more clearly defined process for our professional meetings.

Party in the paddock

What an amazing event Party in the Paddock was on Saturday the 20th of March. It certainly was a bust day, with Field Days, Sport and then the concert! Thew! The parents that helped out with this are an incredible bunch to work with and I enjoyed the event immensely. The bands were great and it was a good showcase for our Jazz Band before the National Festival in Tauranga.

The boys were pretty good at not playing with glow sticks after the lights were put out.

The ladies preparing a summer BBQ after beach day!